COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Best offense vs. best defense in PSAC title game

INDIANA, Pa. — Shippensburg owns the most explosive offense in all of Division II football. Indiana University of Pa. owns the least generous defense in all of Division II football.

So something will have to give Saturday (2 p.m., PCN) when the two meet head on in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship game at George P. Miller Stadium.

Shippensburg, unbeaten through 10 games this season and owner of Division II’s longest active winning streak (14), is ranked No. 7 in the nation. The Red Raiders’ offense is led by junior quarterback Zach Zulli — a graduate of Perkiomen Valley — who leads the nation in total offense, averaging 402.7 yards per game. He is also second in passing efficiency (182.16) behind Henderson State’s sophomore quarterback Kevin Rodgers. Zulli has completed 274 of 411 passes this season for 3,845 yards and 49 touchdowns with just five interceptions.

Overall, the Red Raiders own the nation’s No. 1 total offense and No. 1 passing offense in addition. The Red Raiders are averaging 566.5 yards per game on offense (including 411 yards per game through the air). They are also averaging 52.7 points per game, which ranks second in the nation behind Henderson State (54.). Defensively, they are yielding 327.5 yards per game (27th in the nation), thanks in part to preseason All-American linebacker Cody Fleming (Upper Perkiomen), linebacker and younger brother Chase Fleming (Upper Perkiomen), end Saeed Khateeb (Daniel Boone) and corner Trevor Mack (Hill School).

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Shippensburg’s defense has set a school record this season with five defensive touchdowns (three on fumbles, two on interceptions). The Red Raiders are also among the nation’s Top 25 teams in sacks and tackles for loss. Cody Fleming needs just one tackle for loss to set the Shippensburg career mark he now shares with current head coach Mark ‘Mac’ Maciejewski.

Maciejewski has guided the team to a 17-4 record since the start of last season. It is the best start through 21 games by a Red Raider head coach in 108 seasons of football at the school.

IUP has the nation’s No. 1 total defense, allowing just 239.9 yards per game. The Crimson Hawks are second in Division II in scoring defense (11.3 ppg), second in rushing defense (69.6 yards) and 13th in pass defense (170.3).

Hawks’ head coach Curt Cignetti has guided the program to a 16-4 record since the start of the 2011 season. Cignetti, a former coach at Alabama under Nick Saban, led IUP this season to its first PSAC Western Division title since 2006.

Both teams rank among the nation’s Top 10 teams in both turnover margin. SU has the third-best margin along with Northwest Missouri State (plus-17 – 30 takeaways, 13 giveaways), while IUP has the seventh-best margin (plus-15 – 26 takeaways, 11 giveaways).

Saturday’s game is the first meeting between the two teams in six years. SU has played every other PSAC school at least once since it last faced the Crimson Hawks on Nov. 3, 2007.

IUP leads the all-time series 44-17-4 and has won 20 consecutive meetings dating back to 1988. Shippensburg is 5-24-2 all-time on the road against the Crimson Hawks. SU’s last win at IUP came in 1981 – a 26-3 victory.